Which team is up 11 places and into the top 10? Re-ranking the 48 World Cup teams after day 12
The New York Times • • sports
Key Points:
- Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland are leading the Golden Boot race and have helped Argentina, France, and Norway secure early qualification to the knockout stage.
- France tops the team rankings with strong performances from Michael Olise and Mbappe, while Argentina's Messi has scored all five of their goals and became the World Cup's all-time leading scorer.
- Germany, England, Spain, Netherlands, Brazil, Morocco, United States, and Norway round out the top 10, with notable wins and strong attacking displays securing their progression.
- Portugal and Croatia, both pre-tournament favorites, have underwhelmed so far, with Portugal needing a big win against Uzbekistan to stay in contention.
- Several teams face elimination or must fight for survival, including Senegal, Turkey, Tunisia, Jordan, and Haiti, while debutants Cape Verde and Curacao have been surprising and competitive.
